Airtight receptacle



July 18, 1989. J. l. WISEMAN 2,188,888

AIRTIGHT RECEPTACLE Filed March 28, 1988 Ulf? Patented July 1s, 1939UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE y 1 Claim.

cles, such as tobacco pouches, brief cases, pocketbooks, bill folds,ladies hand bags and the compartments thereof, overnight bags andvarious 5 kinds of luggage but more especially to the closing meanstherefor.

It is well known that the tobacco.. stored in a container, in the formof a pouch including a slidable closure of the Zipper type is open tothe l0 objection that it has a tendency to-becqme dry caused by airentering the pouch through the open spaces between the prongs or teethforming elements of the closure and further after the pouch has beenopened, the user is then required to separate the walls of the pouch,which is also objectionable to form a passage of a size to permit of thebowl of the pipe to be inserted into the pouch to scoop up tobacco. Itis the aim of this invention to provide, in a manner as .10 hereinafterset forth, a receptacle having means to overcome the aforesaidobjections.

Itis also well known that when a Zipper closure is operated inconnection with containers or receptacles, such as brief cases, ladieshandl bags. the

compartments of the latter, pocketbooks, bill folds, overnight Ibags andvarious kinds of luggage, there is often a tendency of the contents ofthe container to creep out of the opening and engage in the prongs orteeth and in the slide of the Zipper, which is very objectionable, whichresults in making the operating of the slide hard and oftentimes whenopening or closing the Zipper is forced, it causes the Zipper to get outof commission and in many instances to break. It

is another aim of this invention to provide, in a manner as hereinafterset forth, a means to overcome the forcing .of the Zipper when openingand closing it.

The invention further aims to provide, in a manner as hereinafter setforth, a container or receptacle with a closure means acting es a sealwhen the container is closed to prevent the contents of the latter fromseeping out, when such contents are of powdered or granulative form toprevent a messy'formation exteriorly of the container, when the latteris stored in a ladys hand bag or in the pocket of a garment.

One of the principal aims of the invention is to Provide a pouch, orsimilar container having an vA outer closure means of the well knownZipper type and an inner closure means associated with said Zipper forpreventing interference of the contents of the container with theoperation of the Zipper at all times.

The invention further aims to provide, in a This invention relates tocontainers or receptamanner to be referred to, a container which will besubstantially air tight when closed.

The invention further aims to provide a receptacle of the characterreferred to in which there is an elastic and resilient element adjacenteach row of Zipper teeth or prongs of the two rows comprising the usualZipper assembly, said element extending partially above the said teethor prongs of a row and by reason of its elasticity and resiliencyclosely hugging the teeth of the row adjacent one side vof the latterand acting to prevent contact of thev contents of the receptacle withsaid teeth.

It is a common expedient at the present time to provide variousreceptacles 'with a slide fastener of the Zipper type for a readilyopening and closing means, but one of the greatest difficulties withthis type of a receptacle is in preventing the teeth or prongs of thefastener from becoming fouled by the contents of the receptacle and thusinjuring the contents as well as destroying the efflciencyof thefastener.l In the present invention the Zipper type fastener has securedadjacent each row of teeth or prongs an elastic and resilient elementwhich may be entirely a flat 25 strip of rubber or a piece of rubberizedfabric. The element has a tendency to flatten out at all times and inexercising this tendency it provides a guarding wall adjacent the teeth.Thus, when a part of the contents of the receptacle projects out of thereceptacle it ls 4actually encompassed between the two walls which areprovided by the resilient elements and when the Zipper is pulled shut,the two elements are forced down into closed overlapping position endaway from the 35 walls of the Zipper, which has the effect of forcingthe contents of the bag back into the same. There have been providedmeans heretofore for providing a substantially air tight closure, but

not one of these means Where the two eventually 40 overlying elements sosecured at each end as to insure of their perfect operation to force thecontents of the receptacle inwardly should they happen to project and atthe same time provide an air tight seal. 45

Embodying the foregoing aims essentially and to others which mayhereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts as will be more specificallyreferred to and illustrated in the 50 accompanying drawing, wherein isshown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood thatchanges, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fallwithin the scope of the invention as claimed.

The several structural features of the invention are illustrated by wayof example in connection with a receptacle of the tobacco pouch type.

In the drawing:`

Figure 1 is a perspective view looking towards the mouth of areceptacle, in accordance with this invention and with the mouth partlyopened,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the receptacle extended and themouth thereof opened,

-Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in side elevation looking towards theinner face of one side of the receptacle and illustrating the form` ofthe resilient elements,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in perspective illustrating the parts ofa slide closure of the Zipper type and further showing the arrangementof the elastic elements with respect to the rows of teeth or prongs ofthe fastener,

Figure 5 is a detail illustrating the relation of the corresponding endsof the elastic elements,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a closed tobacco pouch, in accordancewith this invention, and

Figure '7 is a view similar to Figure 6 of a closed ladys hand bag inaccordance with this invention.

With reference to the drawing, Figures l to 6 illustrate a receptacle,in accordance with this invention in the form oi' a tobacco pouch by wayof example as of rectangular contour and set up from a pair of opposedwebs 9, I3 of textile fabric, leather, or other suitable material. Themarginal portions of the ends and the marginal portion of one side ofthe webs are inturned, as at I i, arranged in abutting relation andsecured in such relation by the stitching I2. This structuralarrangement provides a receptacle formed of a front wallll, a rear walli4, a pair of side walls i6, I9, a bottom I'l and an open top or mouthIl.

The pouch 9 -has secured thereto a slidable closure of the'Zipper typefor opening and c1osing its mouth. The closure as shown includes aflexible carrier I9 for the pair of rows 2li, 2| of interengageableprongs or teeth and a slide 22 for coaction with the said rows toprovide for the interengagement of the teeth of the rows to close themouth and for `the separation of the teeth of the rows to open themouth. The slidable closure is of well known form. The carrier I9 hasthe parts 23, 23'l thereof secured to the inner faces and extendingupwardly beyond the top edges of the walls I3, i4. i

There is associated with the walls I3, I4 com bined protecting,projecting. compressing and sealing elements 24, 25 respectively of likeform possessing elastic and flexible characteristics and having partsshiftable to a position in overlapping relation to seal the receptaclewhen the slide of the fastener is operated in a direction to close thereceptacle and then latched in sealing position relative to thereceptacle on the interengagement throughout of the teeth of said rows.The elements 24, 25 have portions thereof acted upon by the slide tooverlap, when the slide is moved in a direction to close the receptaclefor the purpose to compress or force inwardly into the receptacle thatportion of any of the contents of the receptacle which extends outwardlybetween the walls i3, I4 thereby preventing any possibility of suchportion engaging in the teeth of said rows to impair the operation ofthe closure. The said parts. of the elements further act, when thereceptacle is open to automatically extend the intermediate portions ofthe walls I3, i4 away `from each other whereby convenient access may.tion and an outer portion.

be had to the contents of the receptacle when desired, more especiallyif the receptacle should be in the form of a tobacco pouch. 'I'he saidparts of the elements also act, when the receptacle is closed to make itsubstantially air tight. The said parts of said' elements have atendency to flatten out and 'in exercising this tendency they provide aguarding wall adjacent the inner sides of the rows of teeth.

Each of the said elements consists of a dat strip 2l of any suitablematerial possessing the desired elasticity and resiliency, preferablysuch material will be rubber or rubberized fabric. The strip will be ofa length to extend from one end to the other end of the wall with whichit is associated. The strip will be narrow, of the desired thickness andbe disposed on its lower lengthwise edge. Each strip, at each of itsends has the outer portion of the end edge cut out as at 21 to form eachend of the strip with an inner straight edge portion and a curved outeredge portion 29. The outer edge portion 29 is directed inwardly from theupper end of said inner edge portion and extends to an end of the outerlengthwise edge of the strip. Each strip consists of an inner por- Theouter portion provides a freely movable and extendible elastic flaphaving its end edges provided by said curved outer portions of the endedges of the strip. The inner portion of the strip constitutes astationary resilient rectangular base 20 of rectangular contour havingits end edges provided by the said straight inner portions of the endedges of the strip. The base 30 is of greater length than the flap 29.The end terminal parts of the bases 30 are seated against the inturnedand marginal portion of the front and rear walls. The stitching i2 isemployed for anchoring the ends of the bases 30 to said inturned endmarginal portions'. The ends of the flaps 29 are spaced from and arefree of direct connection to the said inturned end marginal portions.

Each strip has the inner portion thereof which constitutes the base 30thereof secured to the inner face of a part 23 or 23l of the carrier I9by spaced rows of stitching 3|, 32. The flaps 29 of said strips extendbeyond the inner sides of the rows of teeth or prongs oi' the closure.Each end terminal portion 33 of the flap 29 of the element 24permanently overlaps the corresponding end terminal portion of the flap29 of the element 25.

When the slide of the closure is moved in a direction to close thereceptacle, the portions of the flaps 29 between the overlapped endterminal portions of said aps are moved to overlapping relation toprovide the protecting, compressing and sealing functions for theelements 24, 25. When the closure is operated to open the receptacle,the said portions of the flaps 29 between the overlapped end terminalportions of the latter are automatically moved from overlapped relationto provide the projecting function of elements 24, 2l, as well forprotecting the rows of teeth or prongs of the closure.

With reference to Figure 7, a ladys hand bag in accordance with thisinvention isindicated at 34.

What I claim is:

In a sealing means for a receptacle of that type formed of a pair ofsections having their end marginal portions and a side portion thereofinturned and secured together inV abutting relation throughout toprovide the receptacle with an entrance, said receptacle being formedwith a closure for said entrance of the slide fastener l type includingparts secured to the inner faces of of strip-like form adapted to bepositioned against the inner faces of said parts, each of said elementshas the outer portion of its end edges cut out to form each end edge ofthe strip with an inner straight edge Aportion and a curved outer edgeportion directed inwardly from the upper end of said inner edge portionto an end of the outer lengthwise edge of the strip, each of said stripsincluding anlinner portion and an outer portion, said outer portionproviding a freely movable and extendible elastic flap having its endedges provided by the said curved outer edge portions of the end edgesof the strip, said inner portion constituting a stationary rectangularbase having its end edge provided by said straight inner edge portionsof the end edges of the strip, one of said flaps being extendedoutwardly beyond the other to overlap the latter in superimposedrelation throughout when the entrance is closed to seal the receptacle,said flaps being of less length than-said bases and having their endedges provide clearances for the outer portions of the ends of saidelements relative to the upper termini of the said inturned end marginalportions, means for securing said bases to the sections of thereceptacle and to said parts for maintaining the bases stationary, andmeans for anchoring the ends of said bases to the said inturned endmarginal portions.

JACOB I. WISEMAN.

